Food poverty affects 15% of population
People are living in food poverty if they are unable to consume adequate, safe, healthy food in ways suited to their cultural and social norms. Of those on low incomes, it is estimated more than two thirds (35%) experience food poverty.
A study, called Food on a low income, revealed the influence of children’s “pester power”; the priorities of living day-to-day and putting food on the table; the feelings of isolation and a lack of motivation to cook, and the stark differences between the experience of households with children and those living on their own.
Launched yesterday, the study identified a number of common issues among four low-income households that took part in the study. There was a strong sense from all of the groups that their priority is to make the most of the limited budget they live on.
All groups used strategies when shopping so as not to deviate from their budget, and the main priority for most was to put food on the table, as opposed to nutritional value.
While participants reported knowing about healthy eating, they saw the barriers to this — cost, convenience, taste and potential wastage — as being difficult to overcome.
Dr Clíodhna Foley-Nolan, director of Human Health and Nutrition at Safefood, said it is now well recognised that diet-related ill-health disproportionately affects low-income households.
“This research has provided a platform for those living on a low income to share their personal experiences of food and tell their own stories. In doing so, it further informs those working in public policy and the community sector to be responsive and practical when tackling this growing issue.”
Safefood is helping to tackle food poverty by supporting practical food initiatives in local communities.
The initiatives are managed by Healthy Food for All, an all-island multi-agency initiative seeking to promote healthy food for low-income groups. Marjo Moonen, chair of the organisation, said the stress of preparing food for a family — whatever its composition — emanates from the stories in the report.
“There seems to be very little enjoyment associated with food,” she said. “On a small budget the anxiety associated with putting something on the table right now becomes prohibitive to even thinking about affordable, healthy options.”
“Structural changes in the food system, in the ways food is grown, sold, prepared and eaten, are necessary to make healthy food an easy and pleasurable choice for everyone.”
CASE STUDIES
ALL mothers, especially lone parents, appeared to be acutely anxious about managing the food budget. This was a constant pressure, rarely alleviated. While a slight lift occurred on pay day, this was somewhat short-lived and making ends meet was usually a key issue and one that caused considerable apprehension. Almost without exception, mothers expressed a great deal of anger and frustration when it came to food and managing their household budget. This gave rise to intense emotion and clearly visible and commonly-held feelings of guilt and anxiety.
“They are eating me out of house and home.”
- Lone parent, Coolock
“You get crankier, I think, because you are stressed out thinking of what you are going to make them.”
- Lone parent, Coolock
Much of this derived from external forces that impacted on their day-to-day household budgeting. Much of their anger and frustration was directed at schools where lunch policies, school trips, fees and back-to-school expenses all impinged on their ability to cope on a limited budget. They felt schools displayed a lack of realism that had a dramatic impact on their lives.
Mothers appeared to be particularly aggravated and frustrated regarding schools’ efforts to enforce healthy lunch policies. Many felt that a healthy lunch scheme was not consistent, realistic or practical when it required parents to equip a child with the sort of food they might not normally eat, or that was too costly.
“It would end up costing you a fortune to buy some of the stuff they suggested.”
- Lone parent, Clonmel
The majority in the single older person groups expressed the belief that the old ways were better with regard to food production and the quality of food. The same belief surfaced in the single male groups, although it was not as pronounced, perhaps due to the fact that many single males themselves consumed a high proportion of processed foods.
Many, single, older people and some single males often criticised the modern mass-production of food. Many expressed a deep level of scepticism regarding the ability of retailers to offer food products at prices so cheap they raised questions regarding the quality of the contents.
Distrust of foreign food imports, especially meat, fruit and vegetables originating outside the EU, was common, sparking speculating that not only that they are not as fresh as local produce, but also that they may have been treated with more chemicals.
“You have cartons of tomatoes down the supermarket that are grown in Morocco! What was put on them to get them here? To come from Morocco to Leitrim is a long way. And it was €2 for a carton, about 40 in the carton; you couldn’t grow them for that.”
- Single older male, Leitrim
Preference for brands known to be locally manufactured, particularly bread, cereal, dairy and meat products, was common.
“I would use local food before I would use other stuff. I like the fact that SuperValu is Irish. Tesco is English.”
- Single male, Tralee
“In one supermarket you can get six fillets of chicken for €6 and it’s terrible. I tried it and it’s tough and it’s not nice. There’s all preservatives in these things to keep them fresh for so long. They’re pumped up with water or something, they look lovely and full and fat-breasted chicken, but it’s all antibiotics and steroids.”
- Single older women, Tralee
“Five E numbers on a pack of biscuits — you don’t know what it’s made from.”
- Single older male, Leitrim
Most stated that they would follow the above preferences if funds allowed, but some acknowledged that they could not always avoid buying cheaper, mass-produced alternatives due to budgetary constraints.
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